I am asuming your motor will be bolted to your framework, Keeping that in mind, tention is just a few washers away. Once the belt has stretched the first time, It should stay at a constant size for most of its effective life.
were I to want to go buy a clutch, I would go to any small engien shop in the area, we have several too choose from,, I am In Maine, SO I have very little Idea what stores you have in your area, But YOu have to have small engien places around,Someplace that services GO-Karts & such. Most Snowmobiles use them too, Again, I am used to scrounging used parts for my prodject..Many years ago I bought one for my 5 hp minibike,, I seam to remember it being like a $70 thing new back then. BUt I do not remember any pinging sound. The clutch I refure to is a cintrifical clutch. With this clutch, the belt was semi loose at low rpm, but as it spun up to speed, the sides closed in on the belt, ( the sides being beveled ) and this tentioned the belt automaticaly.This could be an expensive buy new but if you want a dependable neutral, its the only real solution I see wihtout getting bulky,or using a actual gear box. or using questionable methods. I have sean another type of thing, I would call it a throwout gear, but Im not sure of its real name,, as the engien spins up it throws itself out to engage the drive pully, Kinda like a starter motor on a car works.. I have also seem a manual version of this built by my father some years ago to power his own version of a powered wheelbarrel. But as I remember, his mecinism was crude at best, and regualry broke and required maintence.
I just looked over the web real quick, I failed to find the clutch for the belt drive I have mentaly pictured, FOund a few for chain drive, 25 bucks or so used on Ebay.. anyway.. Hope at least something here was usefull too you ;p
Perosnaly, Turning the motor off would be neutral enough for me on the scale we are talking about,,, I cant really see many preactical uses for letting the engien run when not actualy powering the boat
forward. The only reasons I have come up with are minor too say the least. My 6 hP evinrude has been stuck in forward since the third time I used it, and I really cant say it has affected me, It starts just fine in gear.
Ya know, Im a little surprized that nobody other then myself has piped in any input here. I do concider my advice sound but am very shocked nobody has piped in either negitivle or positively for that mater. another week or so of posts and our conversation will take over the whole first page hehehe. Talk to you later.
